Trending Stories

Then her best friend's grandfather Jaime de Silva, practically a member of her own family, passed away from cancer too.

Then last month she suffered an injury while running where her mobility was curtailed.

It's safe to say she could use a bit of a break, but she's not the type of person to slow down.

On Sunday, Duperron will be running in the Concrete Hero Challenge, a nine-kilometre urban obstacle course that will see her jumping over cars, swinging over the "Lost Lagoon" and come face to face with the city's elements, in downtown Vancouver, all in the name of raising money for the BC Cancer Foundation.

But how can she do it if she can barely walk? "I'm definitely running," she told the Tri-Cities NOW.

"It's not an option to quit. I signed up, so I have to do it.

"You can't quit."

Duperron hurt herself at a marathon run last month and since then hasn't been able to do more than hobble until recently, when she gained a bit more mobility to walk slowly.

But thinking of her family and friends and her fellow team members in her Concrete Hero group, Duperron simply refuses to quit.

And with the help and support of her family and friends, she thinks she can do it.

"I have a good team and hopefully we'll band together and finish it," she said. "I was never in it to win it, but to raise money for cancer research."

Despite not being able to train for the event, Duperron has spent time raising money for the BC Cancer Foundation.

So far, she alone has raised more than $1,800, which added with her team total for a grand tally of $5,600 when interviewed last week. That amount has no doubtedly grown.

This year Concrete Hero participants are targeting to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the BC Cancer Foundation.

Knowing the affect cancer has had on her friends and family, Duperron is eager to do anything to combat the vicious disease that 24,000 British Columbians get diagnosed with every year, according to the BC Cancer Foundation.

That's a big reason why an injury won't slow Duperron down from doing her part.

For more information on the Concrete Hero Challenge, go to concretehero.ca, or visit bccancerfoundation.com for facts about cancer and to donate.